A meta‑linguistic framework that examines how definitions themselves are elastic—not fixed,
dictionary entries but dynamic tools that shift with context, use, and power. Definitions can be stretched to include new referents (
e.g., “
marriage” expanding to include same‑sex couples), contracted to exclude unwanted cases, or strategically deployed to settle debates by fiat. The theory reveals that arguments over definitions are rarely just about words; they are struggles over boundaries, inclusion, and legitimacy. It also explains how redefinition becomes a political
tool: change the definition, and you change the reality the definition governs.
Example: “The legal battle over ‘woman’ was a
case of the theory of the elasticity of definitions—both sides knew that whichever
definition became legally authoritative would determine
access to rights, facilities, and recognition.”